Thank you

Originally, I planned to make a devlog that released a bunch of concept art of SOTH to you guys. Sadly, my hard drive and a majority my art got wiped last December so that's no longer possible. Still, I've wanted to talk about the development of SOTH, as well as what I have in store next, and talk I shall.

I also want to share a little something to anyone who is interested- I've released all the sprites and bg's in a zipped file for you guys to look at or make stuff with, idk. I've put the terms of use in the file, but as long as you're not making money off anything in there, you're good.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eKuWjWDFhGfS1uIk9Z0PronlDUah1nv3/view?usp=shari...

Finally (before the actual blog starts) I want to say thank you for almost 1000 downloads, 966 at the moment of writing this, thank you for every comment and rating I got and thank you to all the wonderful people I've met in the indie, vn game dev community. I've never put something out and felt so rewarded as I did with this. I know I'm not aome big indie hit in the slightest, but that doesn't matter to me and I'm so happy reguardless.

The development of SOTH (What happened)

Before SOTH, in 2018 I had a big elaborate idea for a life sim dating sim visual novel set in a maid cafe, but I eventually abandoned that idea after not very long (I hadn't even opened Renpy by that point) partly because of school getting in the way.

Some concepts of this first vn attempt from my very fun, not at all embarassing Amino days :

https://aminoapps.com/c/visual-novel/page/blog/maid-with-love-coloured-wips/8Q1k...

https://aminoapps.com/c/visual-novel/page/blog/maid-with-love-sprite-w-i-ps/WoMk...

Around a year later, when I was 16, I started making SOTH. I've dabbled in Renpy before but I was determined to make something real. I used a story that was in my head but heavily developed and altered it.

Inspired by Gravity Falls, South Park, Homestuck, Night in the woods and indie and alternative music, I sought to write something that was both a creepy, unsettling slasher, and a cute, funny, queer coming-of-age. It's your call on if i succeeded or not. The original plan and first draft wasn't wildly different from what I ended up with, but there was still some intersting differences.

For example, your little gang was originally meant to be a band you could name (tho the default nae would be "The Waywards") and Bigfoot was actually meant to be just a normal, homicidal man living in the forest- no supernatural distorion abilities at all.

Here's some original concept art I managed to save from a google doc:

The release

Anyways, eventually I got to work. I made sure to keep the script managble, but not so boring that there's no replay value. What I enjoy most in VN's are alternate routes, so I made sure there was multiple routes and endings to, well, pad out the game time, but also to keep the game entrataining. It's aso why I added an unlockable alternative universe route midway through production- insentives to make you want to keep playing.

I admit, while this game is very much silly, there is some vulnerability in it's characters and "themes" that I hope came across earnesty. Each character is pretty much a blown up version of the many sides I've had as a depressed teen on the internet too often: Lori- cringelord artist, trand. Joel- Emo, thinks he's mature. Roman- Trauma, parent-issues. MC/Uriah- Getting in his head and disreguarding your own wellbeing

I mentioned earlier that I started this game when I was 16. I started officially writing the ideas for this game on Februrary 17th, 2020.

By the time of release, I was 18 year's old. Not because the game was so painstaking it took 2 years of coding, but more because I just...never worked on it. Between sixth form, my own personal art and animations, revamping the artstyle around 4 times and just...not working on it, this small project turned into a far longer thing than I epected. I even remember telling school friends about it during it's production but then school finished and I lost touch with those people I promised would be the first to play it 🥺

Either way, I finished the game, with a lot of help from Reddit, Youtube and Discord and I was pleasently surprised that no one hated it and that more than 5 people were playing it. Then June came around and I entered SOTH in the queer games bundle and I actually got money for this game!! More great stuff happened between then and now, meeting amazingly taleneted game devs and artists in the community and even having a short article written about SOTH.

Game dev is really fun and really cool and I want to make something again...

New VN, The Christmas Thief (What's next)

I'm working on a new visual novel! 🥳

If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram this isn't news but I'd like to go into a bit of detail into it.

This new game, called "The Christmas Theif" (a working title that stuck) was initially meant to be released for the 2022 winter vn jam, but 1. my hard drive with a bunch of art totally died and 2. Uni assignents got in the way (education seems to be a constant roadblock)

Still, I don't plan to give up on this, altough development is going along as a snails pace. I'm currently between coding the game and drawing the art. I am...not even halfway but there's nothing to be pesseminstic about. SOTH took 2 years- I don't plan /want to take long, but if that's what it takes...? 🤷‍♂️

I also cannot continue without mentioning the amazing people helping me with this VN. I typically aim to work alone but since I wanted help to finish this for the winter game jam (which never happened), I asked for the help from people willing to volunteer, and two people did!

My moot Jammers, @prinxqe on Twitter, has offered his beautiful rendering skills to colour in the backgrounds- give them a follow if you enjoy constant bangers https://twitter.com/prinxqe

And, through the "Jam Station Devs" Discord- to my surprise- a talented user Fwabber, Frank Regan on Soundcloud, chose to give my VN a completely original soundtrack. I never even planned on having orignal music, I was and still am thrilled. Some tracks have been uploaded to his SC if you want a preview, please check him out and give him a follow https://soundcloud.com/user-540220829

Here's some screenshots of the game so far:

You'll be playing Merry, a thieving little scamp who has taken the role of their personal hero Robin Hood- taking from the rich to give to the poor. It's Christmas Eve, and you've planned to go on your biggest heist yet to reward a poor village with a Christmas to remember. You'll pick from 3 different routes- 3 heists- and do your best not to get caught. 

I'm afraid I cant say when this will be released, but I think whenever it is done, I'll hold it off for a winter release because who wants to play a Christmas game in Summer?

Anyways, that's all from me now. I probably won't post anything here until TCT's release- perhaps a self sabotaging move in terms of maintaining relevency in the vn dev scene, but I find projects work out for me the less I discuss them 🥴

I don't know who has read till the end- or even skimmed- but on the off chance that you did, a big kissy thank you. I post semi-regularly on social media so follow me on other sites if you want to see regular art and animations, or if you just want to know I'm alive.

Until then, see you and thank you!